WE ARE CTA

325,000 MEMBERS STRONG

September 02, 2009

Student Progress Shown by New High School Exit Exam Results Makes It Clear That Now Is the Time to Stand Up for Public Schools

Contact: Mike Myslinski at 650-552-5324

The Following Statement Was Released Today by CTA President David A. Sanchez:

BURLINGAME – David A. Sanchez, president of the 340,000-member California Teachers Association, issued this statement about today’s release by the California Department of Education of the positive testing results concerning the California High School Exit Exam:

“Despite unprecedented budget cuts to public education, the hard work of California educators and students was reflected again today as a record number of students are passing the High School Exit Exam. More students are passing the exit exam – 90.6 percent of the Class of 2009, or nearly 433,000 students, passed the exam by the end of their senior year. Combined with the STAR Program results last month that showed steady test score gains across the state in all grades tested, educators and students should be proud of this progress, especially since students are faced with some of the toughest academic standards in the nation.

“The high school exit exam numbers are impressive. Not only are more students passing the test, more are passing it when it’s first offered in the 10th grade. And the results show a narrowing of the student achievement gaps as well. Overall, these numbers show what dedicated teachers and education support professionals can do despite working in a state that ranks 47th in per-student funding.

“The big question is how this progress can continue when public education funding was cut $17 billion the past two years, the largest education cuts since the Great Depression. Class sizes are painfully larger this fall, and many art, music, career technical education and other vital programs are gone. More than 20,000 teachers, nurses, school librarians and counselors lost their jobs. Now is the time to stand up for our public schools. Change is needed to protect our schools and students, and CTA will be driving that conversation to make the changes needed to give students the quality education they all deserve.”